


Smoke and [M]irrors

by BlueLotus01



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-10 19:24:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19910926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLotus01/pseuds/BlueLotus01
Summary: 2B and 9S recieve an order to go to the amusement park again to investigate a huge amount of Androids that was sent there a few days ago that went missing.





	1. Truth and Lies

Upon Receiving the Order 9S and 2B went to the location they recieved from the bunker. 

"So,We're heading back to the amusement park again huh?"9S breaks the silence."Hopefully it's noting big.."He can feel in his gut that something was wrong here.

This time it wasn't like that Opera Singer but something else that keeps him worrying. It scares and excites him at the same time. But he becomes nervous when he remembers that 2B was with him.

Scanner models are build for this things. Going through the Enemy territory. In fact his scared for her.

As they climb down the ladder to the sewers. "Is it bad that I'm both nervous and excited at the same time?" He breaks the silence.

"Why is that?"2B still has her back on as she walk ahead and 9S follows.

"I mean it's kinda odd for androids to went missing and that's not just that alot of Androids went missing on the same place at the same time. Don't you think it's a bit off somewhere?"9S said somewhere behind her.

She gonna hand it to him though. His right why would alot of androids went missing in that same place?

She knows how observant he was and she's pretty thankful he was. It saved them alot in alot of situations.

Both of them climb the ladder that leads to their destination. Upon contact with the surface 9S can feel the air has changed. It wasn't like this when they last came here.

As they enter the amusement park and walk towards their destination. They stop infront of the door that the location of the missing androids was last seen. 9S and 2B looks at one another before 9S turns the door knob and swings the door open. Both of them steps inside as the door closes on it's own made both flinch and draw their weapon.

"What the?"9S tries to open the door but his efforts didn't even move the knob.

"9S!"2B calls as 9S looks at her. The lights suddenly turns on as both of them stand there in shock. Alot of Mirrors.

"What is this?" 9S stands besides 2B. Mirrors as far as they can see. 9S looks around.

Both looks at one another and nods as they step forward together. "2B,Be sure to--"9S froze as he started panicing. 2B was no where to be seen."2B?! 2B?!"He runs around yelling her name.

What's going on?! 2B was just there beside him a minute ago. What the-- 

In a blink 9S couldn't move as the ground he was on suddenly sinks below as he suddenly falls on the darkness as he scream.

* * *

2B jolt's upon hearing her partner scream. She suddenly runs towards the voice. As she reach the place. There was noting but mirrors.

"9S!"She calls."9S!"Noting...

She's starting to panic as she prepares her sword infront of her. Whatever is going on she has to find 9S. She hears a laugh that made her shiver. A laugh that was both familiar and frightening to her ear."2B."

2B suddenly looks at the mirror infront of her."9S?"

There he was her partner. He removes his visor. "No...2E..."She froze as her whole body shakes. No...."Why are you shock? 2E? Wasn't that your real Unit?" His eyes filled with hate as it stares into hers."You know it's kinda funny.."She can feel that her strength was fading. "You always love using me don't you 2E?"

"9S,No! I would never--"

"LIAR."Those words made her heart break into pieces as tears starts forming on her eyes. "All those words that's coming out of your mouth are lies 2E." She can see the hate in his eyes as it hits her. "What's the matter? Aren't you gonna kill me now?"

"No! 9S listen--"

"What? Are you acting like a Coward now 2E?"Her hands starts shaking as she grips her sword. "Go ahead kill me! That's all you been doing right?!" 9S yells. "All you been doing is taking my life,my Memories over and over!" Tears starts falling on her cheek.

"9S! I...I..."

"Why are you crying now? Feeling Guilty? Hahaha! Have you ever feel that,Every time you pierced me with that sword of yours?" 9S laughs."No...You don't because you never shown emotions not to me, nor any body.."

"9S..No...That's not true.."

"Then what is true 2E?" She looks at her sword. "The truth that your just standing there feeling sorry for yourself because what? Your Guilty?"He laughs again. "You never felt anything at all...2E because your a Monster that's what you are..."

2B screams as she swings her sword at the mirror breaking in into pieces as she screams and screams.

Breaking every mirror she sees. 

_A Monster...._

_A Monster...._

_A Monster...._

"Whatever you do,Your always gonna be a Monster 2E..."9S' voice echos in her head as she continues destorying every mirror that was around.

He was right. She was a Monster...

The truth that she was 2E and the Lie she put up was 2B.


	2. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I accidentally publish the chapter so I had to redo it ;;; anyways I apologize for the trouble ^^;;...

9S whines as he opens his eyes as he feels pain from his head. What happen? "Pod?"He stares at the ceiling. He was gone from where they were before. "Where are we?"

"Unknown."

"Did I just fell from there?"He sits up as he was in a place where no mirror was in sight. Unlike the place they entered. And 2B...He suddenly jolts up. "Pod look for 2B's Black Box signal!" He suddenly yelps from pain when blood streams down on his head.

What the hell?! 

"Warning: Unit 9S' head is damage. Proposal: Must apply field aid as soon as possible."Pod 153 comes close to 9S.

"No time for that! Pin point 2B's Black Box Signal!" 9S orders as he ignored the light headed and painful feeling.

"Affirmative." With that Pod 153 pin point's 2B signal.

As soon as he got her signal,He started running towards it. But then a figure infront of him made him stop on his heels. His eyes widens."Who are you?!"He yells.

"You know,I don't get you at all."He froze at the familiar voice. There's no way.

He struggles with denial. He can't...He doesn't want to believe. The Hooded figure steps forward as he steps backwards as a response. Chills running through his Spine.

No. It can't be.. "Black Box Signal Confirmed." Pod 153 breaks the silence. "YoRHa Unit 9S." This must be a dream.

There's no way. "Pod...What are you--"

"This Unit has Detected 2 Black Box Signals coming from Unit 9S." It clears the Confusion.

"No...." He can't believe this.

"What Nines? Can't believe that your staring at yourself?" He removes his Hood. To reveal that one of his left eye is long gone. It has a huge scar on it and it has no skin now. His staring at him with only one gray right eye. 

"How..."He found himself unable to move and accept what's infront of him. 

"Oh?"He laughs. "Of course you don't know...I do always start naive right? That's what they want!" 9S can see the hate and spite from his otherselfs eye good eye.

"What are you..."He looks at the eye of the other him.

"Oh..Nines, your always like this....Well do you know that your Precious Partner is a E-unit?" Good thing that he has his Visor on to hide his widen eyes.

"No...2B? A E-unit?"He shakes his head. "That's...."

"Yes, do you know what her REAL purpose is Nines?"He tilts his head with fear and confusion. "She was partner up with you so,She can stop you from knowing the truth.."He pauses and continues. "She does this by killing you!"

Everything stopped for 9S. It's like all his reason to move or to breath stopped. "Warning: Unit 9S' consciousness is dropping." His breathing starts hitching.

No...No...No...

He clenches his grip. He has to calm down. He can't faint not now.

2B needs him. "I..."He tries to spoke up. "I...I.."Words stuck on his throat. His other self just stood there waiting for him to respond. "I don't..." He tighten his grip. "I don't care!" He yelled.

That made his other self jolt in surprise as he draws his sword. Cruel Oath."You don't care? Hah....Ha...She took your life over and over...not only that your memories too.." He raises his sword and pointed at the other him.

"I don't care..."He repeats the other 9S' stare turned into a glare piercing him without doing anything. "I don't care what 2B did or what happened in the past and who she is....All I cared about right now is staying by her side at all cost..."

The other 9S infront of him shakes his head. "Are you hearing yourself right now?" He looks at him as if he said something crazy."All she done so far was hurt you...and yet you choose to be by her side?"

"Please get out of my way..." He steps forward. "2B needs my help."

For a moment the other 9S just stared at him blankly before bursting into laughter that made him feel disgust. "Answer my question Nines.."

"Because I'm here to support her..." 9S prepares himself for a fight. "Now get out of my way or I'll kill you." The other him just shakes it's head and draw his Type-3 Sword. 

"Fine then..." Just like him it prepared himself to fight.

* * *

Swords clashing left and right. As both gets push back by impact over and over. He has to think of something to get pass this. To get pass from himself.

"What's wrong Nines?" He flinches upon the sprike that the other him suddenly took. Thankfully was able to dodge it but it left a small cut on his left cheek's artificial skin. 

"Tch..."Blood streams down on it. "Why are you in my way?" He ignores the pain from the small cut as he focus himself for a counter attack.

"You should know that better Nines.."He looks at his pod. "You know there was a time I trusted Pod 153...but it turns out..."A Smirk painted his lips. "It will betray you in the end too."

"Shut up..."He dashes forward as he swings his sword towards it's shoulder damaging it in the process. He hated it. He hated himself.

He hated the fact that he was able to hate 2B.. He hated that he could hurt her.

It yelps in pain as blood drips down on it's shoulder."Ughh!!" 

"Pod!!"He yells.

"Affirmative.."The pod prepares itself to a laser sprike. Senting the old 9S down. Now laying down on the floor screaming and groaning in pain.Panting he can feel pain on his head getting worse by the second. He walks over the old 9S as he stares down on him. As if his ashamed at himself. He should be. 

He struck the Cruel Oath on it's chest. 

_His chest......_

As it screams in agony.

_As he screams in Agony...._

Blood flowing by the side of it's mouth. 

"Black Box Signal offline...Death Confirmed." 

His breath becomes heavy as his head spins. _No..not now.._ He can hear Pod 153 saying something but he couldn't make out words anymore."2..2B...."He falls down on the floor.

Drifting into the Darkness.


	3. By Your side At the End

_System Rebooting....._

_Unit 9S restarting..._

He whimpers as soon as he opened his eyes. He turns around and saw the body of the old 9S' corpse. It was surrounded by it's own blood.

_His Blood...._

He hated it...He hated seeing his own hatred getting the better of him. His own Demons facing him. As of now his locked in a battle between hating and loving 2B. But now that he saw what he become on letting the hate win over him.

He lost all understanding his own reason on why he continues. All he thought about was staying by her side. 

Because when his with her. All that thoughts he tried to push away disappears. "Pod..How long was I been out?"

"Unit 9S has been in shut down for almost 6 Hours."Pod 153 answers somewhere above."Inadvisable Unit 9S should not move on his current Position due to his condition."

He tries to sit up only to feel sharp pain on his head. Clenching his hand. This Old Unit of himself survived 2B's Sword somehow. But how? Why? 

The Unit tried to get in his head. Making him lost control of his head from getting more worse from his Injuries.

His Head feels stable for now. Thanks to the Pod putting the gel on it. He knows he'll lost his consciousness again if he doesn't hurry.

To her side.

He has to be by her side.

She needs him.

"Pod look for 2B's Black Box Signal."He has to find her.

"Inadvisable Unit 2B's mental condition is not stable...And Unit 9S is not in the Condition to see her. Proposal: Unit 9S must not leave his position."

What? 2B's mental condition no...

"Pod put her Signal on the Map now!"

"Affirmative.."He stands up but fails and fall flat on his butt.He stands up again with the help of Pod 153.

He walks towards the stairs that the Old Unit was stopping him to go to earlier."Pod,Is he the one responsible for the Missing Androids?"

"Correct..This unit detected parts of the missing Androids all over the Body of the broken Unit."It took him awhile to register what the old 9S was doing.

He was doing this to keep his body alive. Taking parts of the Androids to make him live longer.He feels disgust and shame for what his old self did. To think that all this happened because of him. Because of the stubbornness to survive.

Upon opening the door he froze on the sight of scattered glasses on the floor. Broken mirrors as far as he can see. "She did this all of this?" What did that Old Unit did to her?

He suddenly hear a painful and yet familiar scream. It was from 2B. He feel a tight feeling on his chest as he run towards it.

There she was kneeling down blood on her hands and knees. Pieces of glass on both hands and knees. "2B?" She flinch upon hearing his voice. She stood up and pointed her sword on him."2-2B,What are you?"

_She killed you over and over.._

"I can't...."She starts shaking."I can't keep doing this...No..No..."

9S' fear disappeared. He has to help her.

"2B...Can you hear me...?"He spoke again.

"I don't want this...No...No...No.."She raises her head and looked at her even though her eyes are behind her visor. 9S can feel her eyes are on him. Tears falling left and right on her face.

"2B...Listen...Whatever happen here isn't real--"2B attacks him striking his left shoulder.

He yelps in pain as blood falls down on his shoulder. 2B is now infront of him. Her tears falls quickly now. "2-2B..."Her sword piercing his shoulder. He lifted his right arm and placing his hand on her cheek. "It's me..." He wipes the tears away with his fingers. 2B froze upon realizing what happen.

"9S...No...I...No!"She starts panicking as she looks at his shoulder. "No! No!"

"Shhhhh..."He starts caressing her cheek with his fingers."It's okay..."

"No! It's not! Your hurt again...And it's because of me...!"She starts crying. 9S just kept caressing her cheek.

"When your crying like that it hurts....So,Please don't cry..."

"9S...I...I'm sorry!"She lowers her head.

"No...Don't be...I should be the one who should be sorry..."He smiled sadly at her.

"Why are you--"

"2B,I know what you did..."Everything went silent."I'm sorry for making you suffer everytime you have to kill me."

"9S....When did you?"

"Just now..."He pauses."I know what happen to the missing androids as well..."He huffs he can feel that his strength is slowly fading. "It was an Old 9S,A 9S survived his Execution."

"What?"

"He used the Missing Android's body to keep himself alive..."He coughs blood."He told me everything..."

"Then why did you came back for me?"

"I don't have an answer to that question...But I know you need my help...That's all I thought about when I faced him."He won't make it to the Resistance Camp with his Condition."2B...You don't have to worry about him anymore.."

"Why?"

"I killed him."

"W-what?!"

"It was the only way...Because If I didn't he'll kill you.."He coughs again...He has to make his quick. "I won't let him do that..Not on my watch..."

"Nines you..."

He laughs."You finally called me that at the end huh?"2B froze again.

"What are you.."He pulls out from the sword by stepping back. "Nines what are you!?"

"2B....I'll let you know now.."As the sword was completely out of his body. "I don't care if your 2B or 2E..Or the time we had together was a lie.."He shakes."I'll stay by your side at the end..."He draws his Cruel Blood Oath.

"Nines,What are you doing?!"2B starts panicking as she tries to stop him.

"2B...I won't make it to the Resistance Camp..."He smiles at her."And I can't have you kill me right now not with your Condition."

"Nines,NO! DON'T..!" He points his sword to his chest."Nines,Don't...Please! NO!"

"2B,Promise me one thing will you?"He lowers his head."That you'll kill me if you need to.."He struck the sword to his chest at his Black Box. He screams in pain as his vision starts fading. He can hear 2B's scream somewhere...

"9S' Black Box Signal is offline...Death Comfirmed."

* * *

He opened his eyes and sees the familiar structure. His in the Bunker. Hm..Strange. 

If he recalls,The Commander called them about missing androids on the Amusement Park. Suddenly he heard his door open. He turns to see his visitor."Oh...2B! Sorry Did I fall asleep--"2B suddenly hugged him."Uhm Oh...Not that I don't mind that your hugging me 2B..."He was confuse of the sudden change of her personality. I mean he doesn't mind-- 

She starts sobbing 9S froze."2B...Did something happen?"She tightens her grip on him."It's okay...Let it all out..."He wraps his arm around her.

"Nines..."He froze again for the second time. As he chuckles. It was nice hearing her call him that."P-please know that...That the time we spent together is not a lie..."His eyes widens.

"2B,What are you saying? Of course it wasn't a Lie..."

"Just please remember that...Please.."She buries her face on the croak of his neck.

"Okay...I will don't worry..."He pats her back as he waits for her to calm down. Did something happen? I mean did he miss the mission? Is it because he fell asleep?

A hour passed 9S thinks 2B has calmed down."2B?"

"Hm?"

"Did I miss the mission?"No Response."Is it because I fell asleep?"

"No...You didn't..."She removes her visor to revealed that her eye was red from crying.

It suddenly hits him. He died.."I'm sorry.."

"Why?"

"I died didn't I?" 2B just stared at him amazed that he figured it out that quick."I'm sorry for dying on you like that.."

"Don't be...Nines..I'm just glad to see that you're okay..."She remembers what his condition back then. She lifts her hand and place it on his cheek caressing it. 9S just stood there confuse. She remembered that it was wounded. She moves her hand on his left shoulder. The wound that she did. Tears starts forming on her eyes. She was surprise when 9S wipes the forming tears away.

She kissed his check where his wound are. 9S was taken a back with her sudden move. She pulls away as she tugged knot of his visor. It drops from his face. 

"2-2B,What are you...I mean not that--"2B stops him from taking by placing one of her finger on his lips.

"Let me do this for you..."She removes her finger on his lips and pressed her lips on it. 9S wraps his arm around her waist pulling her close. As he closes his eyes and kissed her back.

She leads them towards his bed. He fall on the mattress with 2B on top of him. When she pulled away from the kiss. They were breathless panting. He laughs."Here I thought this will happen only in my dreams..." He chuckles when 2B kisses him all over his face."2-2B!!" He laughs.

"Nines?"

"Y-yes?"

"Is it okay if I stay with you here?"She stops and looks at him.

"I-i mean...yeah...but you have to get off me.."He blushes as he realize their position.

She rolls off him and helps him sit on the bed.She leans on his shoulder."Nines?"

"Yeah...2B?"She doesn't answer."2B?"He looks at the Combat Model besides him.

She was already asleep. He smiles. As he stares at the stars that he could see on his window. Wishing that this moment will last forever.

That he could stay by her side...For the rest of his life...

But he knows that won't happen because...

Everything is a lie.

Even who he is.

And who they are fighting for..

It's all Smoke and Mirrors.


End file.
